Wednesday April 3 was a big day for Zynga Plus Poker as it became available to online players in the United Kingdom. The company is offering UK players a chance to try out its various real money casino and poker games. These include blackjack, slot machines, card games and a host of other options.

The Zynga company is joining up as a partner with bwin.party, which is recognized as the biggest publicly-traded online betting venture in the world. Bwin.party, which is headquartered in Gibraltar, made a profit of more than $32 million last year. Barry Cottle, who is the Chief revenue officer for Zynga, said the company is excited to be offering web and download versions of their real money games in Britain because the public has been asking for them. He added that Zynga is also looking forward to launching its social versions of the games later this year on mobile options and Facebook.

It’s obvious that the company’s shareholders are happy with the move since its stock went up approximately 15 per cent when the British versions were launched. Zynga will be happy with that since its stock has fallen quite rapidly since last August. The company saw some of its top managers leave the nest and that caused the stock to dive. Zynga admitted that it paid too much for OMGPOP and its quarterly losses reached about $52 million. Reports have pegged Zynga’s losses for 2012 at as much as $200 million or more.

It’s believed that the company’s new British venture could eventually set the table for a possible expansion to America. This could take place since several U.S. states are getting quite close to legalizing online betting with Nevada and New Jersey likely being the first two to allow it. These two states already offer legal gamble in their on-land casinos, which are hugely popular. Illinois, Delaware, and California are also interested in legalizing online gaming.

Zynga isn’t wasting any time as they’ve already contacted the Nevada Gaming Control Board and have filed a ‘finding of suitability’ report with them. This is the first call of action necessary to be approved to offer real-money online wagering in the state. Zynga’s online games offer a social experience that is usually found only in brick and mortar casinos, so there’s a good chance it will prove popular in the UK and the U.S.

Analysts predict that if the company does well over the next couple of years then its bottom line should look quite a bit better next year or in 2015. They don’t believe that partnering up with bwin.party will result in any immediate or short-term financial windfall however. Of course, this projection could quickly change if online gaming is legalized in America in the near future.

BetFred has become the first online gambling site to use Playtech’s brand new live dealer mobile gambling application. Playtech recently took a massive gamble by becoming the first casino software developer to create a mobile casino game that featured live dealers. Many other competitors have been wary of developing such a product at this time, with the general thought amongst them being that live streaming and live dealer games just isn’t ready to be released on the current mobile casino devices in existence. Playtech however have thought differently, and the new live dealer casino game mobile gambling application has already been snapped up by BetFred, who are eager to become the first gaming site to reap the rewards if the technology proves a hit.

Live dealer games are generally only available to the online casino market via home computers and laptops due to the immense streaming power that they require. Live dealer games generally involve a live stream being broadcast from a studio where the dealer is present. The game is thus played via video stream and a gaming control menu on your computer. However, Playtech have found a way to make the system work for mobile gamers too now.

The question is; are Bet Fred going to get their value out of it? Well, BetFred might be the only online gambling site to currently offer the live casino mobile application, but that will soon change, and it thought that others are already waiting in the wings to snap up the product. Bet Fred however, is currently the only site offering it, so a lot of new gamers eager to try out the product will be heading in their direction! Whether or not the new live dealer mobile casino games application is any good, is another question.

At present the live dealer mobile casino app consist of only live dealer roulette, although blackjack and baccarat are predicted to be launched by Playtech on the Bet Fred live dealer mobile casino app within the coming weeks. The platform is only valid for Android devices at the minute too, meaning that many iOS and HTML5 players are also missing out on the latest Playtech brainchild. However this too is expected to change in the coming weeks or months and Playtech will almost certainly make the Bet Fred app available to other platforms and devices.

Roulette is one of the most popular live dealer casino games in the online gambling world, so it was only natural that this would be the first of the live dealer mobile casino games to be released. It would also make sense that poker and craps before long find their way onto the platform too, although there has been no word from Playtech on this at this time.

It is the rapid use of 3G technology that makes the Bet Fred mobile casino live dealer application so appealing, as it would be of little use to players on Wi-Fi connections as they couldn’t play on the go; only where Wi-Fi connections are available. The advent of 3G however means no matter where a player is, in the office, on the train or in a taxi they can witness the power and realism of live dealer roulette with Bet Fred.

The Philadelphia Eagles host the Carolina Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday November 26th in a key NFL showdown. The Eagles are in the middle of a bad slump and the home crowd might not be too friendly with them when they take to the field. Head coach Andy Reid and his team is under a lot of pressure to produce in this game with the entire nation looking on in the weekly Monday Night football game. Luckily for Reid and the Eagles, Carolina is currently one of the worst clubs in the NFL, but a loss to them would make the fans even more upset than they are now.

With a 3-7 record the Eagles aren’t really much better than the 2-8 Panthers though. Philadelphia went into the season as one of the favourites to reach the Super Bowl, but the wheels have fallen off since then. The season started well enough with the Eagles going 3-1 after four games and beating the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, but they’ve now lost six games in a row for one of the club’s worst-ever losing streaks. The past four losses have all been by a minimum of 13 points. The most games the club has lost in a row is seven, which they managed to do back in 1994 when they lost the last seven contests of the season.

Reid, who took over the coaching duties in 1999, said his team realizes it’s letting the city and its fans down and he understands exactly how they feel right now. He admitted that there aren’t any excuses and the team simply has to start winning games. He said last year’s 8-8 record would look good right now, but the team wanted to improve greatly on those numbers.

It looks like Reid might not last much longer as the fans are losing patience with him. However, the coach has said that he won’t quit. He added that he’ll try to turn things around on the field and will battle until the end. The Eagles are coming off of a 31-6 loss in Washington last week and will have to play this game without LeSean McCoy, who suffered a head injury in that game. His place will be taken by Bryce Brown and another rookie, Nick Foles, will play for injured quarterback Michael Vick. It will be the second consecutive start for Foles. The fans are hoping he’s not as nervous as last week though when he threw interceptions the first two times his team had the ball. He finished the game at 21 for 46 and gained 204 yards. However, he didn’t get much protection as he was sacked four times.

Carolina’s head coach Ron Rivera could also be on his way out of town after the season as the Panthers seem to be stuck in neutral. They’ve lost some close games though as six of them have been by six or fewer points. Also, they led four of those games in the fourth quarter. Their last game came against Tampa Bay a week ago and they had an 11-point lead with just five minutes to go before blowing the game 27-21 in overtime. Quarterback Cam Newton is disappointed with the team’s record and is hoping to get back on track against the Eagles’ defence.

In their last three games against each other, Philadelphia has won them all, and it looks like they’ll make it four in a row here at home. Carolina is 1-3on the road and the Eagles are 2-3 at home this season.

Sportsbook William Hill has the currents odds of a Carolina win at 5/8 with an Eagles victory at 7/5.

The Melbourne Cup horse race has been hit with a betting scandal as it’s been revealed that Australian jockey Damien Oliver once made a wager on another horse. Oliver, who rode Americain during the race, now faces a lengthy suspension from the sport. This has cast a dark shadow over the running of the Melbourne Cup on Nov. 6, which is recognized as the most famous and richest thoroughbred race in the country. What has made matters worse for many fans is that Oliver, who’s a former winner of the event, was still allowed to participate in the race.

Oliver, who rode Media Puzzle to the winner’s circle back in 2002, allegedly admitted to stewards of placing a $10,000 wager on rival horse Miss Octopussy two years ago in a local race. Horse racing stewards are now looking into the illegal bet while the 40-year-old jockey and Mark Van Triet, his manager, have declined to comment any further on the incident. Racing Victoria (RV), which is the local governing body, said the investigation into the betting incident would be completed around mid-November.

Oliver rode Americain to 11th place in this year’s Melbourne Cup as the race was won by Green Moon. Americain won the event in 2010 and was one of the favourites to repeat again this year. Gerry Harvey, who owns the horse, said he didn’t consider changing jockeys for the race even though he knew Oliver’s participation would create an uproar.

It was reported that two other jockeys in this year’s Melbourne Cup were also under investigation as racing authorities are trying to stamp out corruption in the sport in the southern Australian state of Victoria. Denis Napthine, who is the racing minister in Victoria, said racing fans were guaranteed that the race was reasonable and fair and that they could make their wagers with confidence.

However, many critics feel the government should give racing officials the power to ban jockeys and other racing participants while they’re under investigation for possible corruption. They point out that it’s not fair that they can participate in the nation’s most prestigious horse racing event until they’ve proven their innocence. Those who are against allowing Oliver to continue racing while the investigation is ongoing say that Racing Victoria lacks the courage to ban him and the issue should have been dealt with before the Melbourne Cup.

However, many people believe Oliver has already admitted his guilt on illegal betting and Racing Victoria hasn’t done anything about it. This has tainted this year’s Melbourne Cup and they feel that the racing commission should also be punished along with Oliver since it allowed him to race in the event.

The betting market for this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe has been shaken up this week by the unexpected withdrawal of three of the most fancied horses. Firstly the globetrotting Snow Fairy met with an injury that brought her season to an abrupt end. This was swiftly followed by the news that last year’s winner Danedream would be an absentee due to an outbreak of an equine virus in Cologne where she is stabled. No sooner had the market been adjusted for their withdrawals than news came through that second favourite Nathaniel would also miss the Group 1 event following some unsatisfactory blood test results.

Below odds are taken from Bet365.com, our top recommended bookmaker.

The chief beneficiary seems to be Aidan O’Brien’s Camelot who has vaulted back into the picture having originally been thought an unlikely runner. The 2000 Guineas and Derby winner was widely expected to clinch an historic Triple Crown last month in the St Leger but found one too good in the shape of Godolphin’s Encke. The St Leger is generally regarded as a poor guide to the Arc has it is over two furlongs further and horses that have tried to take in both events have usually failed badly. Available at 6-1 a week ago, he is only priced at half those odds following the dramatic withdrawals. Frankie Dettori takes over the ride from Joseph O’Brien because the trainer’s son cannot do the weight of 8st 11lb. There is no doubt that he will be a popular choice for punters on Sunday but there is a suspicion that his participation in this event is an afterthought.

Better value could be found elsewhere and the French Derby winner Saonois (8-1) has been supplemented for the race at a cost of €100,000. He won the Prix du Jockey Club with a fine turn of foot, threading his way through a narrow gap to win narrowly. He showed that win was no fluke when following up comfortably in the Prix Niel, again coming from off the pace to finish strongly. Regular jockey Antoine Hamelin rides the horse with great confidence and the biggest concern for his supporters will be hoping that he gets a clear run in the straight.

The ante-post favourite is the Japanese Triple Crown winner Orfevre (11-4) who advertised his Arc claims in the Prix Foy with an easy victory over Meandre. Christophe Soumillon enjoyed a smooth run up the rail that day but the horse took his time to put the race beyond doubt and he could find things happening a little too quickly on Sunday. The Aga Khan’s Shareta finished second in this race last season when she was a 66-1 chance and she is considerably shorter this year. She does have an aversion to soft ground so her supporters should keep an eye on the weather in Paris before investing at her current price of 9-1.

Trainer Andre Fabre has a fine record in this race and is represented by Meandre (14-1) and the improving three-year-old Masterstroke (10-1). He got up close home to beat Gatewood in the Grand Prix de Deauville and will need to step up considerably on that form to feature here. However, with several pacemakers likely to be employed, a strong pace seems guaranteed so it would be no surprise to see him staying on into a place.

3pts win Saonois (8-1)
1pt each-way Masterstroke (10-1)

Carbon Poker has long been an industry leader in online poker promotions and that hasn’t changed in 2012. Through putting on two Poker Maximus’ series, countless VIP points promos, Last Man Standing contests and many others, Carbon Poker has rewarded thousands of poker players at their site. The final three months of the year are no different as here are some of the things currently going on there:

The Punta Cana Classic

The Punta Cana Classic is a live poker tournament that takes place in the Dominican Republic in late October and has numerous big name pros from all over the world enter. Carbon knows that not all players can afford to travel down there, put up the $1,500 entry fee and give it a go. Yet, they also know that almost everyone would love a vacation to such a beautiful place like the Dominican Republic in late October and that is why they have a Steps promotion going on where players can win their way to the big show. The 5-step tournament process allows players to enter Step 1 for as little as $1.10 and work their way up through the steps en route to the $5000 grand prize by winning Step 5. The Carbon Poker prize package not only includes the airfare and tournament entry, but puts you up in accommodations, $1,500 resort credit, all-inclusive food and drinks for two and much more.

Now what poker player couldn’t get behind a fall vacation in the sun for as little as $1?

Happy Hour VIP Points

VIP points are a big part of Carbon Poker as players can use them to buy in to tournaments, redeem them for prizes and many other things. But for those that opt in to the Happy Hour VIP points promo get themselves double VIP points when they play during 11:00 and 3:00 pm server time on Wednesday’s, Thursday’s and Fridays, boosting their account and cashing in big time down the road. This is one of their most popular promos and if you have any desire to boost your rewards for playing poker at Carbon, this is the way to do it.

New England Patriots vs. New York Giants Sun. Feb. 5, 2012 6:29 p.m. EST

The biggest and most-watched football game of the year is finally upon us with the New York Giants and the New England Patriots ready to square off in what could be an epic Super Bowl rematch in Indianapolis. There is no question that everyone is talking about the revenge factor between these two teams as the Patriots would love to avenge the loss to the Giants from a few years ago in the Super Bowl, but this game also breaks down to a classic showdown between an elite offense and a lockdown defense.

With that being said, Super Bowl XLVI will be a must-see matchup for any avid football fan. It seems that no matter who would’ve won in the NFC Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants, the AFC champion New England Patriots would have their work cut out for them as they will have to face arguably one of the best defenses in the league.

Even though the Giants are arguably the hottest team in the NFL over the past month or so with impressive wins over the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers in consecutive weeks, Tom Coughlin’s squad will have a tough task ahead against Tom Brady’s potent offense.

The one thing that might give the Giants a slight advantage in this game is the fact that the Patriots’ best offensive threat is banged up and probably won’t be anywhere near 100% on Super Bowl Sunday. With Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski fresh out of a walking boot that was supporting a high ankle sprain, there is a lot of doubt surrounding the up-and-coming tight end’s health coming into this matchup.

Despite the ankle injury to Gronkowski, the New England Patriots are still -3 point favorites to come out on top and win the fourth Super Bowl in the Bill Belichick era.

My Pick: Take the Patriots at -3.

New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers Sun. Jan. 22, 2012 6:30 p.m. EST

Perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the NFL Conference Championships this weekend will be the New York Giants traveling to the Bay Area to take on the red-hot San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. With both of these defenses stepping up over the past month or so, the Giants and the 49ers have surprised everyone and now both teams have an opportunity to advance to the Super Bowl.

There is no question coming into this NFC Championship game that the Giants are the more experienced team. With a veteran head coach in Tom Coughlin and a Pro Bowl quarterback in Eli Manning that has already won a Super Bowl title a few years ago against the New England Patriots, the New York Giants like their chances of getting the playoff win on the road.

Back in Week 10 of the NFL regular season, the Giants and the 49ers went head-to-head in one of the better regular season games of the year. Despite playing well, the Giants fell to the 49ers after failing to convert on a late fourth down. Ultimately, the Giants lost 27-20 in San Francisco, but that game did show just how even a matchup this is on both sides of the football.

As of right now, the San Francisco 49ers are the favorites to advance to the Super Bowl with a -3 point spread in their favor. The Giants may be the better battled tested football team coming into this playoff game, but I believe the 49ers are the better all-around team and should get the win at Candlestick Park on Sunday.

My Pick: Take the 49ers at -3

The online sports betting site Bet365.com recently launched a completely new version of their mobile friendly live betting platform. With the new upgrade they implemented the ability to watch live streams of the most popular events.

The live streams are currently only available for iPad, iPhone and Android users but we expect the new platform to become compatible with other smartphones and tablets as well.

For iPad, iPhone and Android users this means that you are now able to watch sporting events live as they happen on your mobile device and at the same time place wagers on these events. This is a huge step forward for the live betting industry where Bet365 have been setting the standards for the last few years.

Mobile sports betting and gambling in general is becoming extremely popular and in a couple of years time it’s expected that more people will be placing bets on their phones and tablets than on their laptops and desktops. With this recent addition of a live stream it’s safe to assume that more and more people will be moving over to mobile sports betting.

All the clients need to do in order to get access to the live streams at Bet365 is to create an account and make a deposit. There are no requirements on how much the customer will need to deposit in order to get access to the streams so the way it is now a minimum deposit is enough to get access to the streams. The clients will keep having access to the streams as long as they still have money in their accounts (no lower limit).

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers Sun. Jan. 15, 2012 4:30 p.m. EST

The defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers will be back in action once again this Sunday at Lambeau Field with the resurgent New York Giants coming to town to try and pull off the upset in Wisconsin. Even though tragedy has struck the Packers after the son of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin was found dead this week, Green Bay will be more motivated and ready than ever this weekend in order to defend their Super Bowl title.

Without Joe Philbin on the sidelines for the Packers, Green Bay could struggle on offense this weekend, but chances are they could be just as sharp and as dominant as they have been all season long. Head coach Mike McCarthy will take over the duties of his offensive coordinator and the team seems confident that they will have no trouble on that side of the football against the Giants.

As for the New York Giants, Eli Manning and company will look to keep up their winning ways as they have been one of the better teams in the league over the last month or so. With such a dominant defensive performance against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Wild Card (24-2) last weekend, the New York Giants are on their game and ready to pull off the upset this weekend at legendary Lambeau Field.

As of right now, the defending Super Bowl champions are heavily favored to get the win with a -9 point spread. With everything that has gone on in Green Bay and with how well the New York defense is playing, I believe taking the Giants would be the wise decision.

My Picks: Take the Giants at +9